Just Smile
by GoaGreena
Summary: Mares are going missing and a mysterious figure has been spotted hovering over Ponyville late at night. Just as the fear sets in, Pinkie Pie makes an attempt to cheer up all she can, but when she too goes missing, Rainbow Dash is sure to do everything in her power to find her friend. Will Pinkie Pie be able to keep up her good cheer in a place so full of gloom?
1. Chapter 1

**Just Smile**

Prologue

"Mom?" the young colt called, standing alone in the pouring rain. "Dad? Where'd you go?"

He took a few steps forward, hooves splashing in the muddy puddles. His deep auburn mane was plastered to his head and neck, his tan coat was soaked through. He shivered and whimpered as a gust of wind lashed out, nearly knocking him over. "M...mom?" he tried again, his voice growing weaker. He struggled against the wind while the rain stabbed like little needles piercing his skin, numbing him.

The colt stumbled, unable to keep his balance in the growing strength of the storm. Trees bent, their branches twisting and reaching like long, gnarled claws raking the air, grasping for salvation. The small pony coughed, finding it more difficult to get air into his lungs. The rain poured harder still and he felt like he could swim through it. Like maybe if he tried, he could float to the top, find his mother and father and all would be well. Everything would be normal again.

He started running then, though for what reason, he couldn't say. He just _ran_. Ran to get away, to find shelter, to see if he really could swim through the storm... The reason didn't matter. What mattered was that he ran, blinded and numb through the relentless rain. Lightning flashed overhead, splitting the sky in two. Thunder boomed and the colt ran harder, at full gallop, weaving around trees and ducking under branches.

The pounding of his hooves and the pounding of the rain were in tune as the young colt kept on. The puddles splashing his already-soaked fur, the thunder rattling him just enough to keep going. Faster and faster and faster and then-

He stopped. Slipping in the mud and falling onto his side, the tan colt slid to a halt against something furry. He coughed up mud and water, struggling to stand up. And through strained, blurry eyes, he saw her.

His mother.

Her fur was torn, the marks of thorns speckling her coat. Her mane was ragged and her eyes, once deep blue and calming, now half-open, glazed over and staring forever up at nothing. "Mom?" the colt asked, his voice sounding feeble, small. "Mom, a-are you okay?" He nudged her with his muzzle, trying to prod her awake but to no prevail. "_Mom!_" he called, jumping up and driving his front hooves into her side. She didn't move. He tried again -and again -and again, crying now, screaming for his mother. Finally, he collapsed onto her body, burying his nose into her sopping mane and sobbed into it. Softly at first then louder and louder until his entire body shook with every breath.

When his sobbing finally subsided into a soft whimper, the colt felt a hoof on his shoulder. He looked up, tears indistinguishable among the raindrops already staining his face. It was his brother, looking down at him through reddened eyes. He looked like he'd been crying but it was hard to tell in the storm.

Suddenly, his brother's hoof felt heavier, pressing down on his shoulder, pinning the colt to his mother. "It's your fault," the older pony snapped, pressing harder still. "It's always been _you._"

He struggled under his brother's weight, gasping for air, coughing, rainwater entering his windpipe. It stung his throat and made his lungs ache. He tried to yell, to scream, to cry, but no sound came out. He choked and gargled in the mud and the water, kicking and bucking, trying to break free. He felt another hoof on the back of his head as his face was pressed into his mother's fur. He struggled but his brother was too strong, too big. There was nothing he could do.

Helpless, the colt gave in. He stopped struggling, laying still, his breathing ragged and painful, his eyes closed tight. "I'm s-sorry..." he wheezed, unsure if he could even be heard. His voice was rough, it hurt to speak but it had to be said. "I'm so sorry..."

His brother let go.

Chapter One

_I am always at a loss at how much to believe of my own stories. _

-Washington Irving

"...And the monster came in the dead of the night as thunder crashed and lightning blazed. He walked slowly with an intent so strong, so fierce that ponies bolted at the mere sight of him," Rainbow Dash spoke in a hushed but foreboding tone, leaning in close with her eyes narrowed slyly. Pinkie Pie, sat with wide eyes, her mouth open slightly with awe. She leaned forward, eager to hear more.

The silver moon glistened high above and illuminated Rainbow's features, giving her a rather eerie glow as she continued. "He had large wings, torn and ragged but massive and dark with a claw at each tip like a dragon's. He stared at what was before him, head level, locking eyes with a mare trembling in his path. She was paralysed, unable to move as he came closer, grinning, teeth as sharp as knives and-"

The pink pony screamed, high pitched and loud. She started running around in circles, as if to get away from something following her from behind.

"Pinkie!" Rainbow called, racing in front of her and holding her back. "I haven't even finished the story yet! Come on scardy-tail, don't you want to hear the end?"

It was a calm night, clear and quiet. Several lights went on in houses when the bubblegum-coloured pony had let out that shriek, but otherwise all was fine. A soft, cool breeze drifted through the town, ruffling the two ponies' fur and making the branches of the trees sway, leaves fluttering like butterflies on the air. When at last Pinkie Pie calmed down, she began to giggle rather uncontrollably, getting louder and louder until she was laughing so hard she had to hold onto her sides. More lights went on in houses. "Of course I want to hear the end, silly. It's just really fun to be scared." She giggled some more, falling over onto her back and kicking her legs up in the air. The laughter echoed through the empty roads.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. She sighed sharply and sat down beside her bubbly friend. "Alright, fine, just don't go nuts again when I get to the good parts. And be quiet, everypony's sleeping, remember?"

"But we're not sleeping, so that's not everypony." She giggled a bit more at that, her curly mane bouncing with every breath of air.

"I meant everypony else, okay? Now be quiet and let me finish the story."

"Alright, alright," Pinkie sighed, sitting up. "You sure are crabby this late at night."

Rainbow ignored her and started the story once again. "Now where was I... oh, yeah!" She leaned forward, ears back and eyes narrowed. "The monster let out a growl, low and menacing, like a lion getting ready to spring. He scraped his hooves on the ground, ready to charge at the cowering mare. He leaped, landing on her back and baring his fangs. The other ponies of the town who had stood in fear, watching, unable to do anything else now ran, fear in their eyes. They ran in circles, trying desperately to find a place to hide as the mare cried out for help-"

"Wait!" Pinkie exclaimed, eyes wide. "How come nopony helped her?"

"I don't know. They were scared, I guess, all too panic-y to think to help," Rainbow explained, "now if you'll let me continue-"

"Does the mare escape? Does somepony break out of their fear-trance and spring to rescue, attacking the monster and driving him away to the land of evil beasts and then they all have candy and sweets to celebrate and-"

"Pinkie, _whose _story is this?" the blue-coated pegasus snapped, stomping her hoof on the ground. "Are you going to let me finish or not?"

"Oh, sorry," the bouncy pony apologized. "I'll be good now."

"Alright," Rainbow sighed, starting her story yet another time. "Now as I was saying, the mare cried out for help as the monster raised his hoof. Her scream was cut short as he drove his hoof onto her head, knocking her out with one single blow. He dragged her off as ponies fled to their houses, cowering behind their doors. When he got to the end of the road, he spread his massive dragon-like wings and carried her off into the sky, off to his lair deep in the abandoned woods."

"Ooh! Then what happens?" Pinkie was leaning in so close, Rainbow thought she'd fall over.

"Sorry, that's the end of part one," the pegasus chuckled. "It's how the story was told to me when I was a filly. In parts."

"Aw..." the party pony hung her head, disappointed. She paused for a second, seeming in thought. "Hey, Dashie..."

Rainbow gave her friend a curious look. "Yeah?"

"Is this based on a _true _story with a _real_ monster?"

The pegasus laughed, shaking her head. "Nah, monsters like that don't exist. It's all just old mare's tales. Stuff you tell to friends over a campfire. Nothing more."

"Oh, okay!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, grinning as if all the worries had been chased away. While they had been talking, the black sky lightened to a softer shade of grey, lightening the roads.

_Sun should be up soon, _Rainbow thought, rubbing her eyes. She knew she'd be tired all day now but she supposed that's what she got for over-sleeping during a nap the previous day. She yawned, turning her gaze from the sky to her friend, who seemed as wide-awake as ever. "Hey, Pinkie... Why couldn't you sleep?"

The earth pony seemed confused for a moment. "I don't know, I just couldn't. My hooves just didn't want to stay still so I let them take me wherever. It's a good thing, because then I ran into you!" She smiled, a big, wide-mouthed smile that stretched from ear-to-ear.

Rainbow gave her a little grin back. "Yeah, I guess so. Otherwise you wouldn't have heard my awesome story." She spoke with confidence though, admittedly, she didn't really feel it. Pinkie... well, she didn't seem to always be in control of her movement. The pegasus did know of the party pony's "Pinkie Sense" that warned her of certain immediate dangers. She wondered if insomnia had something to do with that, if, maybe, her inability to sleep was in itself a warning. Rainbow sighed, deciding she was getting worried over nothing. Pinkie was just hyper, she ate tons of candy and it wasn't out of the ordinary for her to be on a sugar rush. There was nothing to worry about, and even if there was, Rainbow Dash could handle it. The bravest pony around, there was nothing she couldn't fight off. Nothing.

Yet another record-breaking smile spread across Pinkie Pie's face as she bounded around Rainbow Dash with an energy that shouldn't physically be possible. "Your story sure is neat! I can't wait to hear the rest!"

As they started to canter down the road, a feather drifted by on the wind, ragged and coated in dirt. It caught the attention of the young pegasus for a mere second before she shrugged it off. Just a feather, that's all... though she had failed to mention that the mare in her story, as it had been told to her, was a pegasus.

But monsters such as this one, as everypony knew, did not exist. And stories, of course, were just that -stories. Never anything more.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"_Sometimes legends make reality, and become more useful than the facts."_

-Salman Rushdie

The pegasus squirmed, struggling in Lurker's grasp. He held tighter, sure to cover her mouth so she could not cry out. Feathers flew and fur was torn as he carried her away, off to the Hidden Place. The place where he could store his treasures, where he could escape from the world and all it's fear. This town was rich in such happiness... such joyful ponies so ignorant of how dark the world could be. He wanted them, wanted their joy, their pleasure, their bliss.

So long had he lived for the dark, lived in hiding away where nopony could hurt him, where nopony would take away his treasures, his only light. He struggled to keep flying as he carried the terrified pegasus. His wings strained under the extra weight but he was determined to keep her. This one would help him, he was certain it was this one. She could heal the wounds, heal them with silver words and beautiful phrases. Yes, this one would help.

Though they were all bright at first, their colours brilliant, their eyes wide and their voices clear, they always faded, all of them. No matter what he gave them, how he cared for them, they faded away into the shadows, sinking deep into sorrow, depression. But _this _one would be different. _This _time he would give her everything, he would make her happy, make her stay bright. Her colour would not, could not fade. He would make sure of it.

As the deep, inky night sky faded away to a dull grey, Lurker was already past Ponyville. The little, happy town with its little, happy inhabitants. His hunting grounds.

Ragged feathers flew away on the wind, torn from the young mare's wings as she struggled. "Shh, it'll be okay," he cooed in her ear, "I'll keep you safe. I promise."

He made a quick turn in the air, his long, black cloak flowing behind him. His wings were the only visible part of him, silhouetted against the misty, half-lit sky. He was heading for the dark forest, his safe haven. Where he collected his treasures.

_-Falling._

_ Something... reaching up, grasping, holding, trying to find-_

_ Fear. Wide-eyes, panic. She's gone... Gone! Forever, never coming back. Lost, dead-_

_ -Gone._

_ Swimming in the fear, in the hatred, in the sorrow- drowning. Can't keep up. The current... the current... Help! Somepony! Help! _

_ Falling. Down and down and down forever. Wings broken, legs useless. Falling. No way to help... no way to-_

"Rainbow Dash!"

_A voice? Where... where-_

"Rainbow! Wake up!" Something heavy landed on the sleeping pegasus's back, jolting her awake, tearing her away from the confusion of the dream. She groaned, sitting up, the figure getting off of her and moving to the centre of her vision. Just a blur.

"What... what's going on?" the confused and sleepy pegasus asked, blinking several times to clear her vision. She soon realized she had fallen asleep beside the road. Her fur was covered in dust.

"I didn't want to wake you, you looked so peaceful all snoring and twitching and making little noises but something's happened!" A pink blur moved around in front of her, so quickly, Rainbow was having trouble focusing on it. At last her eyes cleared.

Pinkie Pie. Of course it was her. At least she had taken her away from that dream... falling and calling for help, somepony gone missing... Rainbow didn't want to think about it. "What do you mean? What's happened?" She stood up slowly, giving her body a shake as all the collected dust from the road rose of of her, leaving her fur clean.

Pinkie was jumping up and down, even more so than usual. She looked urgent. "Somepony's gone missing!" she exclaimed. "Her brother's been looking for her all morning! He said he saw a big, scary monster-y thing carrying something last night. He thought it was just his eyes being tricky but when he went to look for his sister this morning- she was gone!" She started galloping down the road. Rainbow followed, taking everything in.

The story was not real, that monster... it just didn't exist. Nothing but stories, that was all, just-

Pinkie Pie stopped abruptly and Rainbow ran into her from behind. Ponies were gathered all around, staring at something on the ground. Rainbow jumped up, spreading her wings and hovering there in the air above the ponies' heads. She looked down.

There, in the centre of the road, lay two distinct sets of hoofprints, some larger, some smaller. Perhaps a mare and a stallion. There seemed to be a struggle, dirt was dug up, scraped, there was fur on the ground, feathers everywhere. Rainbow shook her head. "But... but it can't be!" was all she was able to say. She looked around, surveying the horrified faces, picking out the brother who had lost his sister. One stallion apart from the others, pacing back and forth furiously. He kept shaking his head and talking to himself. She guessed he was blaming himself for what had happened.

"R-Ranbow, oh, Rainbow, d-did you hear?" a soft voice called from behind. The blue pegasus spun around, facing a terrified Fluttershy hovering behind her. "Th-they can't f-find her... he s-said it was a m...m...m-"

"A monster?" Rainbow sighed, placing a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder. "Look, I really don't think that's what it is. She probably just got lost on a walk or something." They landed away from the others. Rainbow was sure to keep her timid friend away from the crowd. Fluttershy was shaking so hard, she looked like she was going to pass out at any minute.

"Oh, I do hope y-you're right... M-monsters are scary..." She buried her head in her hooves, still shaking. Rainbow didn't know what to do.

"Come on, Fluttershy, there's no monsters. Quit being such a scardy-tail," the bolder pegasus helped her friend back to her hooves. "Let's go find the others. You'll feel better when we're all together."

Once they gathered everypony in Twilight's library, Rainbow was sure her book-smart, unicorn friend would be able to rid everypony of their fears. However, even the logical, level-headed Twilight Sparkle was having doubts.

"I've heard of this before.." she began as they all gathered around. "Of course, it's all superstition but there are some truth in legends." A book floated down from the top shelf, engulfed in purple magic. Twilight blew on it and a cloud of dust lifted into the air. She opened it up and began turning pages. "Ah ha! Here it is..." She stopped at a page with a less-than-reassuring drawing of a cloaked, winged monster with the title of 'The Lurker'.

"Ah don't like where this is goin'..." Applejack mumbled, peering at the tattered old page.

Twilight cleared her throat and started reading, "the Lurker is a chimera-type being, a cre-"

"A chimer-_what?_" Pinkie Pie blurted, tilting her head to the side and giving a quizzical expression.

"A chimera is monstrous creature composed of two or more different animals," Twilight explained. "Now, as I was saying, the Lurker is a creature with the body of a stallion, the wings of a dragon, the fangs of a wolf and the strength of an Ursa Major."

A chill ran down Rainbow's spine. It was just like her story...

"It says here that the Lurker steals mares from their homes and keeps them alive in a place, often a cave, hidden in a dark forest."

"W-what d-does he do to them?" Fluttershy whimpered, pressing herself back against a bookshelf. Her mane was covering most of her face, as though she were hiding behind it.

Twilight flipped the page again, her eyes scanning the lines of text. "Unknown for sure... there are, however, some theories."

"Theories? Like what?" Rainbow asked, trying to sound sceptical. She wanted to seem brave, though she didn't feel it. This Lurker... it was sounding more and more like the monster in her story by

the second. And that stallion's sister... the monster he saw... She didn't like this. It scared her, though she'd never dare admit it.

Twilight eyed the book some more, at last she said, "well, here it says some believe the Lurker takes the most beautiful mares for his mates-"

"The most beautiful!" Rarity exclaimed, holding a hoof up to her head in an overly-dramatic pose. "By Celestia, I'm sure to be next! Quick! Find me a place to hide-"

"Calm down, it's only a theory, and this whole story is nothing but a legend. There's probably a more logical explanation," Twilight explained, trying to calm the ecstatic unicorn down.

"Yeah!" Rainbow jumped in, perhaps a little too quickly. "I mean, this is all just a story, right? There's no way it could be real, right, Twilight?"

But the purple unicorn shook her head. "I don't know, stories have been right before..." She sighed, flipping a few more pages. "Here it says he keeps only the best singers and musicians so they can play music for him. If they don't preform well, he... he eats them."

Rainbow turned back to Fluttershy who was still cowering in the corner. "Hey, don't worry. It's probably not the Lurker's doing at all. That stallion's sister probably just got lost, like I said before. These kind of stories, they're just old mares tales."

"B-but..." Fluttershy couldn't finish.

The blue pegasus placed her foreleg around her friend's shoulders, giving her a small grin. "Hey, don't you worry. If it is a Lurker, I'll fight him off for ya."

Pinkie Pie bounced over to them, eyes wide. "You'll fight off the Lurker? But he's so strong and mean and evil and pointy-toothed and-"

"_Pinkie_, I think that's enough for now." Twilight sighed, stopping the earth pony from saying any more. "I think Fluttershy needs a break from all this. In fact, I think we all do. As Rainbow said, she probably just got lost and will turn up in the morning. Nothing to worry about."

Applejack nodded. "Twilight's right. We should all be gettin' some shut-eye. Y'all feel better in the mornin'-" her sentence was cut off by a rather large yawn, a yawn that spread across the room, infecting all the others.

"D-do you think we could all stay here tonight, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked softly, "I mean... if you don't mind..."

The unicorn smiled. "I don't mind at all. I think that should be just fine. So long as I find enough room for you all."

Rainbow watched as Twilight went off to find blankets and things. Her mind wandered back to the dream she'd had this morning. The falling and reaching for something, somepony gone forever, the fear of death... She shook her head. No... no, that wasn't related to any of this. It was just a weird

dream. She found herself chuckling a bit at that. Getting all scared over a dream. It was stupid. It meant nothing.

Outside, ponies were looking weary. The whole town seemed to have a very grim air, like something just wasn't right. But Rainbow Dash refused to give in to their fear. There was nothing at all to worry about. Certainly not anything the amazing Rainbow Dash couldn't handle.

But as the night drew nearer, confidence was not something the young pegasus felt.


End file.
